In Defence of Chouji Akimichi
(cross-posted to naruto_rants)
Here's my second Naruto defence essay, and it's loooong, so be warned. Chouji is my favourite character next to Kankuro and Shikamaru, and he gets a lot of hate from the fandom, so I ended up writing this. It was originally intended for the Anti-Character Bashing FC on Narutofan.
Just in case you thought it was his penis.
I am that rare breed of Naruto fan, a Chouji Akimichi fangirl. I'm writing this because I've noticed we don't have any Chouji unbashings yet, and he does get a lot of often unnecessary hate. Around the time of the Pein arc, there was an outbreak of Chouji bashing and as anyone who's in the Team 10 or Chouji Fcs knows, it pissed me off a lot because it was very unjustified.
So why do people hate Chouji Akimichi, and by extension, his clan? Let's see. I will state that a lot of this is going to focus on the Pein and Rescue Sasuke arcs.
I hate Chouji because he's fat and/or ugly.
Non-bishies? In MY Naruto? It's more likely than you think.
First off, the most common reason to bash Chouji: because of his weight. Let me just say that I never got the whole hating an anime character because of their looks. It's incredibly shallow. I mean, G-d forbid we have characters who are not girly bishounen types. I personally think Chouji is cute. I can appreciate, however, that he is not everyone's cup of tea, and that some people may find him ugly. But if you bash him for being fat, you're missing the point; it's like bashing the Hyuuga for their white eyes. Chouji HAS TO BE FAT. The Akimichi clan turn calories into chakra, and in order to do this, they have to eat a lot. Moreover, their main weapon is their bodies. They can turn into giants, crush enemies with Nikudan Sensha, stretch their limbs, and smash the ground with their fists. They are a very physical clan. If the Akimichi weren't constantly eating and weren't big, they would be ineffective. So if you think Chouji should lose weight, you're basically wanting him to be useless.
As a side note, it saddens me how the only time Chouji ever had lots of fangirls was when he took the Red Pill. Again, in my opinion, he did not look attractive. He looked emaciated and ill. And if you only like Chouji when he's skinny, some fan you are.
I hate Chouji because he's retarded in the anime.
"Does Kakuzu haftae choke a bitch?"
The anime has an irritating habit of Flanderising characters, ie really playing up their annoying little traits, but in my opinion, that's not a reason to hate Chouji, particularly if you're like me and consider the manga as the main canon. I do admit that it pisses me off how the anime turns Chouji into a drooling idiot who's constantly shoving food into his mouth and making Miaka Yuki look like the model of restraint. But I hate the writing, not the character himself, and it's worth remembering that it's not just Chouji; the anime isn't always kind to other characters. Sakura is a hormonal bitch who constantly beats the crap out of Naruto; Naruto is a moron; poor old Ino gets portrayed as weak and useless (I don't think she is, for the record). I especially hated the bit in the Hidan and Kakuzu arc where Chouji lost his temper at Hidan after Hidan called him a 'fat fuck' and was beaten and choked by Kakuzu, along with Ino. I appreciate that arc was Shikamaru's day in the sun, and I appreciate the anime needed to pad things out a bit, but I could have done without Chouji and Ino being made to look like utter fools. Having said that, Chouji isn't always pathetic in fillers. He helped restrain the two idiot giants in the Mizuki filler, helped Naruto with making ramen in the ramen ninja filler, drank his way out of a water bubble and used the water against the enemy in the Vegetable Country arc, and teamed up with Kankuro and Kiba to take an enemy down in the Shitenshonin filler.
On a personal level, I like Chouji's voice (and his dirty laugh!) It kind of helps that his seiyuu, Kentaro Ito, also plays Renji, one of my favourite characters in Bleach. And his dub actor isn't too bad either.
I hate Chouji because he's thick.
"Herp derp. Derp derp. Derrrrrr."
While Chouji isn't as bright as Shikamaru, I wouldn't say he's thick. He certainly has enough common sense to ensure he reached Chuunin rank, and has shown initiative in the past, like when he gorged himself on crisps in order to provide him with enough chakra to use Nikudan Sensha to get the retrieval team out of Jirobo's earth mound, or when he blocked his ears to protect himself against Dosu (although Dosu found another way to beat him). He's a doer rather than a thinker.
And on that note, fanfic writers, please stop portraying Chouza Akimichi as a moronic, bumbling oaf. From what we've seen of him, Chouza's actually fairly intelligent. Again, he's not a genius like his team mate Shikaku is, but he's certainly not a cretin with his brain in his stomach like people seem to think he and his son are.
I hate Chouji because he's boring.
"Sorry, kids, you'll never be as relevant to the plot as Shikamaru. Deal. Now who fancies some hash brownies?"
This is a matter of opinion, but I actually find Chouji to be quite an interesting character. I identify with him a fair bit as I've had problems with my weight, I was bullied at school and have little confidence, and I am very loyal to my family and friends. Chouji is very flawed, but I'd rather he was flawed than perfect. If he was perfect, he'd be as dull as ditchwater!
I hate Chouji because he's useless.
"Alas! Who will save us? Ah, here comes Pineapple Head to save the day..."
I admit that in the Hidan & Kakuzu arc, Chouji didn't do much. He did showcase a couple of jutsu, both of which failed, and ultimately he and Ino and Kakashi were aided by Naruto's arrival. However, Chouji is not useless. Who was it that broke the retrieval team out of Jirobo's earth mound, who was it that destroyed Sai's ink beasts, who is it who is the physically strongest on Team 10, who was it that helped down Asura Pein, and who was it who ran to Tsunade with information that ultimately helped Naruto in his fight against Pein? Yes, Chouji has been pushed to the side like so many other characters, but to say he is useless is doing him a disservice.
I hate Chouji because the Akimichi clan are fail. All they do is smash stuff, they're fat, they're slow etc.
Chouza 'Renji on steroids' Akimichi, somewhere in Konoha, destroying things, yesterday.
When there's a poll on Narutofan about which clan you'd join or who your favourite clan is, I'm one of the very few people who votes for the Akimichi clan. There is a tendency to hate said clan because we've only seen four members (five if you count Chouji's mum in the anime), two of whom have very little screentime (Torifu, who appeared in the manga very recently during Danzo's flashback, and the random Akimichi on Chouza's team who appeared in the Pein arc), and one of whom is Chouji. However, I would advise not to judge the clan on just a few people. It's like assuming the Uchiha are all angsty because of Itachi and Sasuke. The Akimichi are apparently one of the Four Pillars of Konoha, one of the four noble clans along with the Uchiha, Aburame and Hyuuga. Some people seem to find this weird, but it kind of makes sense, in that they're one of the physically strongest clans in the Naruverse, and if Chouza and Chouji are anything to go by, one of the bravest and most loyal. It takes all sorts to make an army.
I hate Chouji because all he does is that Meat Tank move, and it sucks balls.
Jiraiya wishes he could do this.
I've already commented on that jutsu, so I won't go into it again, but I'll point out Chouji has several other jutsu. Off the top of my head: Baika no Jutsu, Chou Baika no Jutsu, Bubun Baika no Jutsu, Chou Harite, Nikudan Hari Sensha. Not to mention that Chouji is also a taijutsu user. And is really fucking strong.
I hate Chouji because he killed Jirobo. And he should have died in the Rescue Sasuke arc.
Sailor Chouji is not happy. You stole his crisps. And now you will pay.
OK, I will conceive a couple of points. Yes, the Sound Four were kids. And yes, Sasuke did want to get away from Konoha; he chose to go with them. However, as far as I know, Shikamaru, Chouji, Neji and Kiba didn't know this. They only knew that Sasuke had been kidnapped by minions of the man who tried to destroy their home village and murdered the Third Hokage, and were ordered to get him back. Understandably, they are going to see said minions as enemies and rescuing Sasuke as a mission for the good of Konoha.
Jirobo wasn't an innocent victim. For a start, he trapped the group in that earth mound thing that drained their chakra and could have easily killed them - and who was it who got them out? Yep, you guessed it: Chouji. Then Jirobo made the fatal mistake of mocking Shikamaru, and Chouji stayed behind to fight him. I'll repeat: Chouji stayed behind. He insisted. So Jirobo saying “your friends abandoned you” is a crock, and no, he wasn't saying all that stuff to Chouji because he cared, and if you seriously believe that you are deluded. As if Jirobo gave a shit about his enemy's welfare. He was mocking Chouji and trying to wear him down.
I admit that fight was one of the highlights for me, and I did tear up a little when Chouji started crying when he saw the signs the guys had left for him. Chouji was heroic in that fight, not least because he stopped being comic relief and was shown to be an honourable, brave and strong person who cared a hell of a lot about his friends. Even when Jirobo's seal turned him into a powerful monster, Chouji would not give up. He kept on fighting, even though he knew he could die. Given that he was pretty cowardly during the Chuunin Exams, this was a big leap. Also, bear in mind that if he hadn't taken the pill and killed Jirobo, Jirobo would have killed him, and he'd be getting bashed for being weak and useless and a pussy. As for sparing Jirobo, why the fuck should he have spared him? Jirobo would have killed him the moment Chouji lost his power, not to mention that he pushed Chouji to his limits, physically and emotionally, and was pretty damn cruel to him.
And yes, Chouji did come close to death in that arc, and it has been argued that he actually did die and that Kishi retconned it to have him and Neji surviving. I honestly don't know how true this actually is, but I hate the bashing Chouji gets for it, because it's happened plenty of times with other characters - hell, Gaara actually did die, Sasuke had his chest ripped open, etc. - yet he always gets singled out for it and called 'boring and useless'. Which, as we're about to see, isn't true.
Finally, my biggest pet peeve of all...
I hate Chouji because he has Kakashi's blood on his hands and/or he nearly caused his father's death.
Anyone remember this guy? And what he thinks of people who abandon their friends?
"I get trolled by Kishi and everyone blames my son? Well, fuck-a-doodle-doo."
This is one of the most irritating reasons to bash Chouji I have ever seen.
I am a Kakashi fan. I am also possibly one of the very few Chouza fans out there, because he is one of the kindest and most loving parents in the manga, so much so that he was prepared to give his life to protect his son. Yet I don't hate Chouji for it. To hear the backlash over this fight, you'd think Chouji had forced Kakashi and Chouza to get themselves killed for him.
If you can't understand why Kakashi would risk his life to save Chouji, read Kakashi Gaiden again. Remember what Obito said about how those who break the rules are bad, but those who abandon their comrades are even worse? Letting Chouji die would have been against everything Kakashi believes in, and everything he is. Yes, their connection is tenuous, but it's not non-existent. Which jounin was it who accompanied Team 10 on their revenge mission when Tsunade refused to let them out of the village? That's right: Kakashi.
Moreover, Kakashi had vital information that he'd gleaned from fighting Pein - about the short delay - and Chouji was the only one who could move. Remember that the rest of Chouza's team were incapacitated, Chouza himself was down and everyone thought he was dead, and Kakashi was trapped under rubble. It was absolutely necessary for the information to be relayed to Tsunade, so that she would have more of an idea about Pein's weak spots, and Chouji was the man to do it. He might be slow, but he didn't wimp out or refuse; he wiped his tears, got off his arse and went to Tsunade, and later, that information actually helped Naruto. So Kakashi was right to save Chouji. Had Chouji died, Tsunade and Naruto may never have found out.
As for Chouza, he took the hit from Pein for Chouji because not only is Chouji a younger member of Chouza's team, he is also Chouza's son. I mean, G-d forbid Chouza protect his own child. We've seen already that Chouza is a kind and loving man who has a great relationship with his son and has a lot of faith in him, and it's no surprise that he'd do anything to protect Chouji. Wouldn't you do the same if your kid was in danger? Chouza survived, anyway, so bashing Chouji because of him is pointless.
Even if the Akimichis and Kakashi lost the fight, and only Chouji came out unscathed, they were still prepared to work together and risk their lives to stop Pein. And that's pretty damned heroic.
A poster on Narutofan has this to say, and sums up my thoughts on this very well:
“I don't care what some idiots blamed him for. That day I saw an honourable person in Chou and that is enough for me. He was a hero that day. He truly was just AS much as that Jiroubo fight. He made Kakashi's 'death' COUNT in the long run against Pein. He shouldered both deaths and outran you know who. If he was only a bit late Tsunade would be in grave as well. And this isn't an achievement? I don't care if some people with the intelligence of a potato think otherwise. I am almost a hardcore Kakashi fan (#2 in my overall list, right after Shika) and I can honestly say Chouji was a hero.”
Here's my second Naruto defence essay, and it's loooong, so be warned. Chouji is my favourite character next to Kankuro and Shikamaru, and he gets a lot of hate from the fandom, so I ended up writing this. It was originally intended for the Anti-Character Bashing FC on Narutofan.
Just in case you thought it was his penis.
I am that rare breed of Naruto fan, a Chouji Akimichi fangirl. I'm writing this because I've noticed we don't have any Chouji unbashings yet, and he does get a lot of often unnecessary hate. Around the time of the Pein arc, there was an outbreak of Chouji bashing and as anyone who's in the Team 10 or Chouji Fcs knows, it pissed me off a lot because it was very unjustified.
So why do people hate Chouji Akimichi, and by extension, his clan? Let's see. I will state that a lot of this is going to focus on the Pein and Rescue Sasuke arcs.
I hate Chouji because he's fat and/or ugly.
Non-bishies? In MY Naruto? It's more likely than you think.
First off, the most common reason to bash Chouji: because of his weight. Let me just say that I never got the whole hating an anime character because of their looks. It's incredibly shallow. I mean, G-d forbid we have characters who are not girly bishounen types. I personally think Chouji is cute. I can appreciate, however, that he is not everyone's cup of tea, and that some people may find him ugly. But if you bash him for being fat, you're missing the point; it's like bashing the Hyuuga for their white eyes. Chouji HAS TO BE FAT. The Akimichi clan turn calories into chakra, and in order to do this, they have to eat a lot. Moreover, their main weapon is their bodies. They can turn into giants, crush enemies with Nikudan Sensha, stretch their limbs, and smash the ground with their fists. They are a very physical clan. If the Akimichi weren't constantly eating and weren't big, they would be ineffective. So if you think Chouji should lose weight, you're basically wanting him to be useless.
As a side note, it saddens me how the only time Chouji ever had lots of fangirls was when he took the Red Pill. Again, in my opinion, he did not look attractive. He looked emaciated and ill. And if you only like Chouji when he's skinny, some fan you are.
I hate Chouji because he's retarded in the anime.
"Does Kakuzu haftae choke a bitch?"
The anime has an irritating habit of Flanderising characters, ie really playing up their annoying little traits, but in my opinion, that's not a reason to hate Chouji, particularly if you're like me and consider the manga as the main canon. I do admit that it pisses me off how the anime turns Chouji into a drooling idiot who's constantly shoving food into his mouth and making Miaka Yuki look like the model of restraint. But I hate the writing, not the character himself, and it's worth remembering that it's not just Chouji; the anime isn't always kind to other characters. Sakura is a hormonal bitch who constantly beats the crap out of Naruto; Naruto is a moron; poor old Ino gets portrayed as weak and useless (I don't think she is, for the record). I especially hated the bit in the Hidan and Kakuzu arc where Chouji lost his temper at Hidan after Hidan called him a 'fat fuck' and was beaten and choked by Kakuzu, along with Ino. I appreciate that arc was Shikamaru's day in the sun, and I appreciate the anime needed to pad things out a bit, but I could have done without Chouji and Ino being made to look like utter fools. Having said that, Chouji isn't always pathetic in fillers. He helped restrain the two idiot giants in the Mizuki filler, helped Naruto with making ramen in the ramen ninja filler, drank his way out of a water bubble and used the water against the enemy in the Vegetable Country arc, and teamed up with Kankuro and Kiba to take an enemy down in the Shitenshonin filler.
On a personal level, I like Chouji's voice (and his dirty laugh!) It kind of helps that his seiyuu, Kentaro Ito, also plays Renji, one of my favourite characters in Bleach. And his dub actor isn't too bad either.
I hate Chouji because he's thick.
"Herp derp. Derp derp. Derrrrrr."
While Chouji isn't as bright as Shikamaru, I wouldn't say he's thick. He certainly has enough common sense to ensure he reached Chuunin rank, and has shown initiative in the past, like when he gorged himself on crisps in order to provide him with enough chakra to use Nikudan Sensha to get the retrieval team out of Jirobo's earth mound, or when he blocked his ears to protect himself against Dosu (although Dosu found another way to beat him). He's a doer rather than a thinker.
And on that note, fanfic writers, please stop portraying Chouza Akimichi as a moronic, bumbling oaf. From what we've seen of him, Chouza's actually fairly intelligent. Again, he's not a genius like his team mate Shikaku is, but he's certainly not a cretin with his brain in his stomach like people seem to think he and his son are.
I hate Chouji because he's boring.
"Sorry, kids, you'll never be as relevant to the plot as Shikamaru. Deal. Now who fancies some hash brownies?"
This is a matter of opinion, but I actually find Chouji to be quite an interesting character. I identify with him a fair bit as I've had problems with my weight, I was bullied at school and have little confidence, and I am very loyal to my family and friends. Chouji is very flawed, but I'd rather he was flawed than perfect. If he was perfect, he'd be as dull as ditchwater!
I hate Chouji because he's useless.
"Alas! Who will save us? Ah, here comes Pineapple Head to save the day..."
I admit that in the Hidan & Kakuzu arc, Chouji didn't do much. He did showcase a couple of jutsu, both of which failed, and ultimately he and Ino and Kakashi were aided by Naruto's arrival. However, Chouji is not useless. Who was it that broke the retrieval team out of Jirobo's earth mound, who was it that destroyed Sai's ink beasts, who is it who is the physically strongest on Team 10, who was it that helped down Asura Pein, and who was it who ran to Tsunade with information that ultimately helped Naruto in his fight against Pein? Yes, Chouji has been pushed to the side like so many other characters, but to say he is useless is doing him a disservice.
I hate Chouji because the Akimichi clan are fail. All they do is smash stuff, they're fat, they're slow etc.
Chouza 'Renji on steroids' Akimichi, somewhere in Konoha, destroying things, yesterday.
When there's a poll on Narutofan about which clan you'd join or who your favourite clan is, I'm one of the very few people who votes for the Akimichi clan. There is a tendency to hate said clan because we've only seen four members (five if you count Chouji's mum in the anime), two of whom have very little screentime (Torifu, who appeared in the manga very recently during Danzo's flashback, and the random Akimichi on Chouza's team who appeared in the Pein arc), and one of whom is Chouji. However, I would advise not to judge the clan on just a few people. It's like assuming the Uchiha are all angsty because of Itachi and Sasuke. The Akimichi are apparently one of the Four Pillars of Konoha, one of the four noble clans along with the Uchiha, Aburame and Hyuuga. Some people seem to find this weird, but it kind of makes sense, in that they're one of the physically strongest clans in the Naruverse, and if Chouza and Chouji are anything to go by, one of the bravest and most loyal. It takes all sorts to make an army.
I hate Chouji because all he does is that Meat Tank move, and it sucks balls.
Jiraiya wishes he could do this.
I've already commented on that jutsu, so I won't go into it again, but I'll point out Chouji has several other jutsu. Off the top of my head: Baika no Jutsu, Chou Baika no Jutsu, Bubun Baika no Jutsu, Chou Harite, Nikudan Hari Sensha. Not to mention that Chouji is also a taijutsu user. And is really fucking strong.
I hate Chouji because he killed Jirobo. And he should have died in the Rescue Sasuke arc.
Sailor Chouji is not happy. You stole his crisps. And now you will pay.
OK, I will conceive a couple of points. Yes, the Sound Four were kids. And yes, Sasuke did want to get away from Konoha; he chose to go with them. However, as far as I know, Shikamaru, Chouji, Neji and Kiba didn't know this. They only knew that Sasuke had been kidnapped by minions of the man who tried to destroy their home village and murdered the Third Hokage, and were ordered to get him back. Understandably, they are going to see said minions as enemies and rescuing Sasuke as a mission for the good of Konoha.
Jirobo wasn't an innocent victim. For a start, he trapped the group in that earth mound thing that drained their chakra and could have easily killed them - and who was it who got them out? Yep, you guessed it: Chouji. Then Jirobo made the fatal mistake of mocking Shikamaru, and Chouji stayed behind to fight him. I'll repeat: Chouji stayed behind. He insisted. So Jirobo saying “your friends abandoned you” is a crock, and no, he wasn't saying all that stuff to Chouji because he cared, and if you seriously believe that you are deluded. As if Jirobo gave a shit about his enemy's welfare. He was mocking Chouji and trying to wear him down.
I admit that fight was one of the highlights for me, and I did tear up a little when Chouji started crying when he saw the signs the guys had left for him. Chouji was heroic in that fight, not least because he stopped being comic relief and was shown to be an honourable, brave and strong person who cared a hell of a lot about his friends. Even when Jirobo's seal turned him into a powerful monster, Chouji would not give up. He kept on fighting, even though he knew he could die. Given that he was pretty cowardly during the Chuunin Exams, this was a big leap. Also, bear in mind that if he hadn't taken the pill and killed Jirobo, Jirobo would have killed him, and he'd be getting bashed for being weak and useless and a pussy. As for sparing Jirobo, why the fuck should he have spared him? Jirobo would have killed him the moment Chouji lost his power, not to mention that he pushed Chouji to his limits, physically and emotionally, and was pretty damn cruel to him.
And yes, Chouji did come close to death in that arc, and it has been argued that he actually did die and that Kishi retconned it to have him and Neji surviving. I honestly don't know how true this actually is, but I hate the bashing Chouji gets for it, because it's happened plenty of times with other characters - hell, Gaara actually did die, Sasuke had his chest ripped open, etc. - yet he always gets singled out for it and called 'boring and useless'. Which, as we're about to see, isn't true.
Finally, my biggest pet peeve of all...
I hate Chouji because he has Kakashi's blood on his hands and/or he nearly caused his father's death.
Anyone remember this guy? And what he thinks of people who abandon their friends?
"I get trolled by Kishi and everyone blames my son? Well, fuck-a-doodle-doo."
This is one of the most irritating reasons to bash Chouji I have ever seen.
I am a Kakashi fan. I am also possibly one of the very few Chouza fans out there, because he is one of the kindest and most loving parents in the manga, so much so that he was prepared to give his life to protect his son. Yet I don't hate Chouji for it. To hear the backlash over this fight, you'd think Chouji had forced Kakashi and Chouza to get themselves killed for him.
If you can't understand why Kakashi would risk his life to save Chouji, read Kakashi Gaiden again. Remember what Obito said about how those who break the rules are bad, but those who abandon their comrades are even worse? Letting Chouji die would have been against everything Kakashi believes in, and everything he is. Yes, their connection is tenuous, but it's not non-existent. Which jounin was it who accompanied Team 10 on their revenge mission when Tsunade refused to let them out of the village? That's right: Kakashi.
Moreover, Kakashi had vital information that he'd gleaned from fighting Pein - about the short delay - and Chouji was the only one who could move. Remember that the rest of Chouza's team were incapacitated, Chouza himself was down and everyone thought he was dead, and Kakashi was trapped under rubble. It was absolutely necessary for the information to be relayed to Tsunade, so that she would have more of an idea about Pein's weak spots, and Chouji was the man to do it. He might be slow, but he didn't wimp out or refuse; he wiped his tears, got off his arse and went to Tsunade, and later, that information actually helped Naruto. So Kakashi was right to save Chouji. Had Chouji died, Tsunade and Naruto may never have found out.
As for Chouza, he took the hit from Pein for Chouji because not only is Chouji a younger member of Chouza's team, he is also Chouza's son. I mean, G-d forbid Chouza protect his own child. We've seen already that Chouza is a kind and loving man who has a great relationship with his son and has a lot of faith in him, and it's no surprise that he'd do anything to protect Chouji. Wouldn't you do the same if your kid was in danger? Chouza survived, anyway, so bashing Chouji because of him is pointless.
Even if the Akimichis and Kakashi lost the fight, and only Chouji came out unscathed, they were still prepared to work together and risk their lives to stop Pein. And that's pretty damned heroic.
A poster on Narutofan has this to say, and sums up my thoughts on this very well:
“I don't care what some idiots blamed him for. That day I saw an honourable person in Chou and that is enough for me. He was a hero that day. He truly was just AS much as that Jiroubo fight. He made Kakashi's 'death' COUNT in the long run against Pein. He shouldered both deaths and outran you know who. If he was only a bit late Tsunade would be in grave as well. And this isn't an achievement? I don't care if some people with the intelligence of a potato think otherwise. I am almost a hardcore Kakashi fan (#2 in my overall list, right after Shika) and I can honestly say Chouji was a hero.”